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Teach Next
difficulties in filling teaching vacancies.1 Attracting teachers in the areas of maths and
science has proven to be a particularly acute issue for schools in rural and remote areas.2
To fill these gaps schools have sometimes been forced to use teachers from other
subject areas to cover maths and science. Teachers do a great job covering a wide range
of different subject areas, but forcing them to teach outside their area of subject
specialty places considerable pressure on them and it is no substitute for the specialised
subject knowledge that enriches these core subjects.
This can result in fewer students being interested in and excited by these subjects and
fewer going on to study the sciences and advanced levels of maths in the senior
secondary years.
A lack of specialised teachers has sometimes forced schools to limit the range of subjects
offered, particularly at senior secondary levels.
At a time when Australia needs more young people to have good skills and knowledge in
these fields, fewer students are studying science and advanced maths in the post-
compulsory years, perpetuating shortages in these areas.
People who have experience in these fields are able to illuminate the possibilities for
real-world application in subjects like maths and science which will encourage more
students to study in these areas.
Boosting the number of students studying in maths and science will deliver productivity
returns as more students undertake mathematics and science rich courses and
contribute to industries like engineering, mining and medical and scientific research.
What will this mean for students?
Teacher quality has been identified as the most important school influence on student
achievement. Students will benefit teachers with specialised subject knowledge, who
can bring the subject matter to life – with real world examples, recent experience of
industry best practice and case studies.
This will provide a better standard of teaching for our students, and will lead to better
learning outcomes. In schools that have been struggling to recruit specialised teachers,
Teach Next will result in students being offered a greater choice of subjects in senior
secondary school. This will help students pursue a path that best matches their interests
and abilities.
What will this mean for professionals seeking a career change?
Teach Next will provide a new pathway into teaching for professionals with specialist
qualifications who are seeking a career change. This will mean professionals can move
quickly into the classroom, without having to sacrifice paid employment to gain the
requisite qualification.
1
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2008, Staff in Australia’s Schools 2007.
Australian Council for Education Research, 2008, Participation in Science, Mathematics and Technology in Australian Education.
OECD, 2005, Teachers Matter: Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers, Synthesis Report.
2
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2008, Staff in Australia’s Schools 2007.
Teach Next recognises that professionals in maths and science have considerable
experience and that provides them with the requisite skills base, with support and
additional training, to be a successful teacher.
Federal Labor will work with State and Territory Governments to deliver Teach Next, and
participating professionals will receive:
School based teacher education over two years through which they will gain a formal
education qualification, including an intensive teacher training course of around
eight weeks at the beginning. The Gillard Labor Government will fund around 50% of
the course fee for successful applicants.
An allowance of up to $10,000 to assist with study costs and any relocation
expenses.
Ongoing training, support and mentoring from an experienced classroom teacher.
What will this mean for schools and teachers?
Schools will benefit from being able to more easily attract teachers in specialist areas.
This will be of particular benefit for schools in regional and remote areas, which have
had ongoing difficulty in recruiting maths and science teachers.
Schools will benefit from greater diversity and expertise in their teaching workforce.
The end result will be a higher standard of education for their students.
Teach Next will also alleviate pressure on existing teachers who can be forced to teach
subjects outside their area of expertise.
How will this initiative work?
The Gillard Labor Government will work with State and Territory Governments and
Universities to establish Teach Next.
An open tender will select the organisation to develop and deliver Teach Next. Part of
this tender process will consider how Teach Next can build on existing programs such as
Teach SA.
To help address shortages, 450 professionals will be selected on the basis of their
qualifications and level of expertise in their particular field over four years from 2011-12.
Those selected will receive subsidised course fees and an allowance of up to $10,000, to
assist with study costs and relocation expenses.
Professionals will undertake an initial intensive course and will then be able to gain the
rest of their teaching qualification while working full-time in a school for two years.
As employment-based training, the course would allow participants to gain a teaching
qualification while earning a salary, removing one of the key barriers that discourage
career-changers from transitioning to teaching.
A system will also be established to match career-change professionals with schools
which have had trouble recruiting staff in specialised subject areas.
Professionals will be assigned to a school with a teacher shortage and will undertake
ongoing training throughout their first two years. They will also be supported by both
the principal and an assigned teacher with a number of years of classroom experience.
This program will be promoted through the Australian Institute of Teaching and School
Leadership, which will work with professional bodies such as the Australian Association
of Mathematics Teachers and Australian Science Teachers Association.
How Teach Next will connect professionals to the classroom
Hamish has an engineering and mathematics degree and has been working as an engineer for 15 years.
He has had a very successful career working on construction projects but he is now feeling unfulfilled and
wants to spend more time with his family. Hamish has always thought he’d like to try teaching but has
been put off by having to undertake a year of full-time study through a post-graduate diploma or a
Masters in education, without receiving an income.
Hamish hears about Teach Next and submits an application that outlines his skills and qualifications as
they relate to maths and physics. Hamish is accepted and commences the course, starting with an
intensive eight week program, which gives him training on pedagogy, curriculum and other practical
training required before he moves into a classroom. Hamish uses his allowance to cover living expenses
during the eight week program.
Hamish is matched with a school in his city that has been struggling to find a maths and physics teacher,
and has only one other male teacher in the school. Hamish starts teaching in the classroom and is
provided with ongoing support and mentoring from the senior maths teacher. Hamish is loving being in
the classroom and his students are really enjoying the way Hamish uses examples of local construction
projects to illustrate his lessons.
--
Melanie has been working overseas for a large pharmaceutical company for a number of years, after
completing a PhD in science. She would like to move back to Australia and wants a career change, but
doesn’tCost
Total want to give up working in science field – which she loves. Melanie always enjoyed the time she
spent coaching netball when she was younger and had often thought about becoming a teacher where
$13.7 million
she could over theback
give something forward
to theestimates.
community.
Melanie applies
Labor’s record for Teach Next, receives intensive teacher training, and is placed in a school in a rural
community in South Australia. Melanie uses her allowance for relocation expenses. The local school is
now able to offer Year 11 and 12 students’ science subjects. Melanie receives intensive support and
guidance from two other teachers at the school. Melanie becomes an integral and valued part of the
community.
3
Totals may not sum due to rounding.
The Teach for Australia program is an important initiative that is attracting the best and
brightest university graduates into our nation’s classrooms, providing a pathway for
professionals from non-teaching fields such as law, commerce and science to work as
teachers for two years while studying towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching.
Teach First in the United Kingdom and Teach for America in the United States have been
shown to deliver better student outcomes and importantly, help raise the status of the
profession. Teach for Australia aims to achieve the same results here in Australia.
Under Teach for Australia, up to 180 high-achieving university graduates are being
recruited from all Australian States and Territories to participate in the initiative via two
cohorts in at least two states.
More than 40 graduates in the first cohort have commenced their two-year placement
in 13 Victorian non-government secondary schools, and 300 applications have been
received for the second cohort in 2011, with almost four applicants for every available
place – an illustration that highly talented graduates are keen to take on the challenges
and rewards of teaching.
We have laid the foundations for a world class education system and the Gillard Labor
Government is determined to continue driving improved student outcomes, so all
Australian children are equipped with the skills they need for a successful future.